Gregan under pressure

Gregan under pressure

Friday 11 November 2005 20.33 EST
First published on Friday 11 November 2005 20.33 EST

If, in any sport, there is such a thing as a good time to hear calls for your sacking, surely it would come after your world-record 115th Test. But George Gregan does not see it that way.

With World, Tri-Nations, Bledisloe and Cook Cups among his list of sporting achievements, the Wallaby captain is determined to hold on to the No9 shirt despite indifferent form, pressure from his long-time understudy Chris Whitaker and demands from former players including Mark Ella and David Campese for his immediate axing from the side.

The 32-year-old Gregan will form a relatively untried half-back pairing with Mat Rogers who, worryingly for a side that has lost six successive games, was still wearing an ice pack on his injured right hand at the team hotel yesterday.